There’s a good chance that you have an individual profile on FaceBook. One of your better pictures may be posted for the virtual world to see (or at least those to whom you give permission in your privacy settings, right?). Good for you! Social media is fun and exciting.
Next question: Do you have a FaceBook profile for your business or other enterprise? (See example)
The following three marketing suggestions can help you grow and promote your business – whether local, online, or both – through social media websites (FaceBook, in this case).
- Keep a tidy corporate image. Prior to uploading an image file (like a .jpg logo) check the pixel dimensions. Use GIMP, a free image manipulation program, (or Adobe software if you can afford the pricey, sweet suite) to adjust the image for optimum resolution. Your logo, a powerful marketing element, should be crisp, clear, and showing in its entirety. If you just can’t get it right find a graphics person.
- Keep a professional profile. Before publishing to the web, consider photos and information carefully. A few professional images of the company owners or employees add value to a corporate website. Potential and current customers may think it’s nice to know that Sam works in the accounting department, has three kids, and likes fly-fishing.
Potentially damaging photos (like the ones taken at last year’s company margarita party, when Susan ate the worm) should never be put online. Anything compromising is . . . well, compromising.
- Post links to your corporate website. Write a unique blog article weekly for your company website and post a well-written excerpt and link as your status on FaceBook. A coordinating image, culled automatically from the web page, adds color (and hopefully brings traffic).
Encourage comments, Tweets, Diggs, and Likes. When appropriate, respond to others’ comments and posts. As part of a marketing strategy, consider posting discount offers and coupons from time to time. You can also ask open-ended questions or conduct a FaceBook survey to invite participation and new friends.
These are just a few simple tips for using FaceBook to promote your business. Ensure your economic success by striving to generate continual, genuine web traffic. Economic success . . . now that’s something to “like.”